Snowshoes

Statistics:

Milestones:

1608 – Samuel de Champlain provided the first written account of snowshoes

1881 – Ottawa Snowshoe Club formed

1907 – Canadian Snowshoe Union formed

1974 – Snowshoeing became an officially recognized event at the Arctic Winter Games

2013 – Yeti snowshoe race held in Collingwood

Snowshoes are a practical mode of winter transportation, and they are also a symbol of practical ingenuity representing thousands of years of cultural history and adaptation to the country’s snowy winters. It is believed that snowshoes arrived in Canada during ancient migrations at least 10,000 years ago from eastern Siberia over the Bering Strait. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain provided the first written account of the First Nations using snowshoes to walk across the deep winter snow. Recognizing their value, Europeans used snowshoes for hunting and trapping, and for exploring the rugged landscape. In the mid-1800s, snowshoeing became a popular recreational activity, with clubs meeting for hikes and competitive races. The Canadian Snowshoe Union was formed in March 1907 to regulate the sport. In the 1970s, lightweight metal alloy snowshoes were introduced and enabled swifter movement. Snowshoe competitions have been popularized since the Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series was founded in 2001. Ontario hosted a Yeti race in 2013 in Collingwood.